(This amendment provides $300,000 GF the first year and $600,000 GF the second year to support a statewide initiative to provide free or reduced cost course content to students, including textbooks, through the Virtual Library of Virginia (VIVA). This builds upon a successful pilot in 2017 to develop, identify, and adopt into the curricula low-cost and free course materials, especially textbooks, for Virginia students, thereby decreasing the cost of education.)

A. 1. It is the intent of the General Assembly to provide general fund support to contract at a level equivalent to the Tuition Assistance Grant undergraduate award with Mary Baldwin University for Virginia women resident students to participate in the Virginia Women's Institute for Leadership at Mary Baldwin University.

2. The amounts included in this Item are $307,899 the first year and $307,899 the second year from the general fund for the programmatic administration of this program.

3. General fund appropriations provided under this contract include financial incentive for the participating students at Mary Baldwin University in the Virginia Women's Institute for Leadership Program. Students receiving this financial incentive will not be eligible for Tuition Assistance Grants.

4. By September 1 of each year, Mary Baldwin University shall report to the Chairmen of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees, the Director, State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, and the Director, Department of Planning and Budget, on the number of students participating in the Virginia Women's Leadership Program, the number of in-state and out-of-state students receiving awards, the amount of the awards, the number of students graduating, and the number of students receiving commissions in the military.

B. In discharging the responsibilities specified in § 23.1-219, Code of Virginia, the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia shall provide exemptions to individual proprietorships, associations, co-partnerships or corporations which are now or in the future will be using the words "college" or "university" in their training programs solely for their employees or customers, which do not offer degree-granting programs, and whose name includes the word "college" or "university" in a context from which it clearly appears that such entity is not an educational institution.

C. Out of the appropriation for Higher Education Coordination and Review, $8,202,363 the first year and $8,502,363 the second year from the general fund is provided for continuation of the Virtual Library of Virginia. Funding for the Virtual Library of Virginia is provided for the benefit of students and faculty at the Commonwealth's public institutions of higher education and participating nonprofit, independent private colleges and universities. Out of this amount, $376,946 the first year and $376,946 the second year is earmarked to allow the participation of nonprofit, independent private colleges and universities.

D. Out of this appropriation, $950,366 and ten positions the first year and $950,366 and ten positions the second year from nongeneral funds is provided to support higher education coordination and review services, including expenses incurred in the regulation and oversight of the private and out-of-state postsecondary institutions and proprietary schools operating in Virginia. These funds will be generated through fee schedules developed pursuant to § 23.1-224, Code of Virginia. Out of this amount, $190,000 the first year and $190,000 the second year from nongeneral funds is designated to administration of the Student Tuition Guarantee Fund.

E. The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, in consultation with the House Appropriations Committee, the Senate Finance Committee, the Department of General Services, and the Department of Planning and Budget, shall develop a six-year capital outlay plan for higher education institutions including affiliated entities. As a part of this plan SCHEV shall consider (i) current funding mechanisms for capital projects and improvements at the Commonwealth's institutions of higher education, including general obligation bonds and other viable funding methods; (ii) mechanisms to assist private institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth with their capital needs.

F. The Executive Director, State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, may appoint an advisory committee to assist the council with technology-enriched learning initiatives. The advisory committee may assist the council in (i) developing innovative, cost-effective, technology-enriched teaching and learning initiatives, including distance and distributed learning initiatives; (ii) improving cooperation among and between the public and private institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth; (iii) improving efficiency and expand the availability of technology-enriched courses; and (iv) facilitating the sharing of research and experience to improve student learning.

G. The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia shall include Eastern Virginia Medical School in any calculations used to determine the funding requirements for state medical schools.

H. In addition to the reviews conducted under § 23.1-206 and § 23.1-306, Code of Virginia, the State Council of Higher Education shall evaluate the progress of individual initiatives funded in this act as part of the incentive funding provided to colleges and universities with regard to improvements in retention, graduation, degree production and other criteria the Council deems appropriate.

I. Out of this appropriation, $160,295 the first year and $160,295 the second year from the general fund is designated to support research and analysis and the enhancement of consumer information regarding higher education.

J. Out of this appropriation, $300,000 the first year and $300,000 the second year from the general fund is designated to support initiatives related to the statewide plan for higher education and to help implement the recommendations of the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission's series of higher education reports.

K. Out of this appropriation, $330,687 the first year and $330,687 the second year from the general fund is designated to support research and analysis and the administration of a multi-agency longitudinal data system to improve consumer information and policy recommendations.

L. Out of this appropriation, $225,000 the first year and $225,000 the second year from the general fund is designated to establish and maintain a fund for excellence and innovation. The fund is designed to stimulate collaboration among public school divisions, community colleges and universities to create and expand affordable student pathways and to pursue shared services and other efficiency initiatives at colleges and universities that lead to measurable cost reductions. Grants will be awarded on a competitive basis, with eligibility criteria determined by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.

M. Out of this appropriation, $514,031 the first year and $534,036 the second year from the general fund is designated for development of the Commonwealth Research and Technology Strategic Roadmap as well as support for the Virginia Research Investment Committee and Fund as established in Chapter 775, 2016 Acts of Assembly.

N. Out of this appropriation, $115,333 and one position the first year and $124,000 and one position the second year from the general fund is designated for the establishment of a student loan ombudsman to provide timely assistance to student borrowers of any student education loan in the Commonwealth. The ombudsman will also be responsible for establishing and maintaining an online student loan borrower education course, which would cover key loan terms, documentation requirements, monthly payment obligations, income-based repayment options, loan forgiveness, and disclosure requirements.